A New Reality
by fangal7297
Summary: Somewhat AU from Season 2 Episode 1. After Lori kidnaps Carter-again, things turn to the worst.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! This is my first fanfiction, please R &R!**

 **I don't own anything :(**

"Get in the car," Lori whispers as she pushes Carter in front of her towards the parking lot outside the motel. She grabs Carter's arm and escorts her to the car.

"You don't have to do this," pleads Carter, but Lori ignores her. Carter getting anxious continues, "Stop, please tell me where we are going at least?" A pause from Lori. But she succumbs to her daughter's request with a dull, "I can't tell you."

As Lori opens up the car door for Carter, her eyes dart around, looking for a way out. Lori expects Carter to sit in the passenger side, but she can see that Carter's distracted.

"Please, get in the car," she says.

Carter bolts. She runs as fast as she can, but avoiding cars and pedestrians causes her to slow down. As she reaches the hills to the forest, Lori catches up while stopping every car in her wake. Carter climbs up the steep hill, but can't find enough traction so Lori becomes an arm's length away.

Lori grabs Carter's hair and pulls her down. Carter screams from the sudden pain. They have already reached the top of the hill; Lori gets on top of Carter to restrict her from escaping again.

Lori, almost offended, says, "I get you back and this is how you repay me?"

Tears forming in Carter's eyes as her body shakes. Out of breath, Carter cries, "I don't know you anymore."

She tries to wiggle out of Lori's tight grasp, but no luck. A single tear streams down her face.

"This only becomes harder for you if you resist, Carter," Lori says. However, as Lori attempts to be nurturing, Carter can't take the trapped feeling, she suddenly tries to free herself from Lori's weight which just seems to be getting heavier.

The more Carter fights, the harder it is to breathe. Lori is almost kneeling on Carter's stomach. Both of them are getting angry.

Lori finally yells, "I love you and I'm trying to protect you!" Carter screams back, "THEN GET OFF ME."

Lori caresses Carter's cheek, leaning forward, adding as much weight as possible. Carter's breath gets hitched.

Carter whispers, "You're a monster," as her eyes grow wider from this realization. Carter feels like she's dying. The light dimming in her eyes as she's on the edge of passing out.

Lori aggravatingly says, "We. Need. To. Get. Going."

Carter starts to shake from the lack of oxygen and gives up. As she loses her breath, Lori begins to stand up and continues, "Good. Let's not have this happen again."

Carter slowly regains oxygen through shallow breath and deep coughs.

Lori stands Carter up and they walk down the hill together; Carter losing any kind of hope for the future.

Max and Taylor sit in silence in her living room. With shifting eyes and an uncomfortable awkwardness, the elephant in the room is mentioned by a stuttering Taylor.

"You don't-don't, uh, think that-that Lori would-would hurt her? Carter?"

Max looks around as if his answer is hidden in the jewelry box on the table across the room, but, after a beat, "Uh. With everything that's happened. I don't know, Taylor. Things have changed now? I mean, from before; Lori's different now."

Taylor can't understand his answer; she can't tell if he's worried about what Lori will do, or what she has done. "What was she like before?" Taylor asks, trying to get perspective on the situation.

He reminisces on the past and smiles, "She was cool. Really supportive; I was part of the family."

Taylor can see the sadness in Max's eyes, so she reminds him, "Now you have us."

They have a long embrace for the chance to mend their broken hearts.

The two have buckled up and Lori demands, "Give me your phone."

Carter hands it over in silence.

"I need to take a picture of you, so they know you are okay," Lori explains.

Carter just looks at her, waiting for the picture.

"Here, hold this newspaper," Lori says as she gives the newest issue of the local paper. "Smile!"

Carter looks stone cold in the photo.

Lori texts the photo to Taylor with a message.

=============================/================/=============================================================

Taylor's phone lights up across the room. Taylor walks to her phone, grabs it and nearly drops it from reading the message.

TONY'S SHACK. 2 PM. Attached is the haunting picture of a trapped Carter.

Taylor stutters, "M-mmax." Her hand shakes as Max rushes over to her and reads the text.

"Oh my god," he says. In shock. They look at each other. Taylor and Max run into the kitchen, looking for help.

"Mom!" Taylor exclaims, "You need to see this!"

Elizabeth reads the text. Angry at Lori and worried for her poor daughter who has been taken for the second time-because of her. She runs around the kitchen to put on her police belt which includes the standard handcuffs, gun and badge.

She says, "We're going. Together."

Grant walks into the conversation, furious.

"So you're all just going to leave me here?"

Elizabeth looks at Grant apologetically. She understands his frustration, but he doesn't understand the stakes.

"Sweetie. Look. It's a picture of Carter, don't you want her back?"

The family can see the battle Grant is having in his head, choose Carter or choose Taylor.

"But I don't want to lose you," he decides.

"You won't. You won't!" Elizabeth answers, "Gabe's dad will be there."

Taylor and Elizabeth exchange looks.

David intervenes and says, "Come on buddy. They need to get ready."

Grant hesitates, but reluctantly follows David. They leave.

"What do you mean that Gabe's dad will be there?" Taylor yells at Elizabeth.

Max insecurely chimes in, "Yeah, I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"If we put the wire on you, Taylor, Lori will never know. She'll expect me to have a wire. She'll check me for a wire."

"I don't think she's expecting you at all," Taylor counters.

"I'm coming, Taylor," Elizabeth insists.

"Let me go call Kyle," she says.

In Lori's car, the radio is playing odd music and Carter hasn't spoken the entire time.

"Aren't you happy we're together now?" Lori encouragingly asks Carter, hoping for a reply.

No response.

"Now, we just need Taylor!" Lori exclaims.

Carter turns to Lori, almost shocked, but something comes over her. She almost expects something this crazy would come out of Lori. So, she dismisses it.

"Oh, come on," Lori continues. "You need to say something. Aren't you excited for all of us to be together?"

Carter is starting to get upset, but she won't let Lori get to her. She stares out the window, biting her tongue.

Lori violently pulls over the car. Car horns are louder than the radio playing inside the car-louder than Carter's thoughts. She grabs onto the door as Lori drives over four expressway lanes into the shoulder. Halting to a stop.

"You will not treat me like I am some stranger! I am your mother!" Lori screams at Carter.

Carter shrugs off with, "You lost that job a while ago." Still staring out the window.

"Look at me." Lori calmly says. Carter doesn't turn her head. Lori grabs her face with one hand and whips it close to hers. "I will not take this, you brat. I finally have you, I expected more." She shoves Carter back.

Carter thinks for a few seconds, deciding whether or not to challenge Lori.

"I don't want to be here! I don't want to be with you. Not like this!" She whispers, "And I don't want Taylor experiencing the same thing."

Lori, stunned by Carter's rebellion unsurely asks, "You would rather be with them?"

Carter nods as tears form in her eyes.

Lori floors the gas and speeds the streets, angrily.

Quietly, Carter says to herself, "Taylor doesn't deserve this."

Lori, going 100mph, is seething with anger, honking and yelling at other cars. She's becoming dangerously unstable.

"Don't involve her in this, please," Carter pleads. "You have me. Like you said. Can't that be enough?"

Lori ignores Carter.

=========================/=======================/==========================================================

 **That's it! That's the first chapter. What do you think will happen next? Next chapter will be set in Tony's Shack! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Kyle packs spy equipment into his car. He grabs a lavaliere microphone and Elizabeth is standing next to him.

"So Taylor, put this under your shirt and your mom will help you hook it on," Kyle says.

Elizabeth gently clips it on and leads the wire under a flap of her jacket.

"Remember what we talked about," Elizabeth calmly says. "Let me do the talking, Kyle will be able to hear everything. There is nothing to worry about."

"Except for the fact that she could find out about Kyle and hurt all of us? Right. Nothing to worry about." Taylor scowls.

"She won't," Kyle assures, confident in his work.

=========/====/==============

Lori and Carter sit oppositely in a booth at Tony's shack. Lori waiting impatiently. Taylor comes in first, Elizabeth follows.

As quickly as Lori's face lights up, it just as quickly washes over with hatred when she sees Elizabeth.

"I thought I made it clear. Alone." Lori growled.

Taylor counters, "Considering you never said those words, she's here."

Elizabeth looks at Taylor. Trying to remind her of their deal.

Lori gets up from the booth and pats down Elizabeth, Taylor runs over to Carter. They hug.

Taylor mumbles, "I've missed you so much." But Carter can't hear much from how tightly she's holding her.

Carter moves her hand and hits something hard that's underneath Taylor's jacket. Carter feels it, still embracing the hug, and figures out, from the shape of a box that it's a mic. They make eye contact, acknowledging they are not truly alone. They both quietly smile.

Elizabeth sits on the inside seat next to Lori, Carter sits on the inside seat next to Taylor.

"This was going to be easier," Lori explains. "But here we are. Let's make this quick. Taylor's coming with me!" She says, almost excited.

Taylor looks at Carter, worried and confused. Carter just looks down, not wanting to see what Taylor is thinking. However, she grabs Taylor's hand under the table.

"Well, keep dreaming," Elizabeth laughs.

"I got one of your daughters," Lori responds. Completely serious.

Carter's head pops up; realizing that she's isn't going home with Elizabeth. There is no way that Lori will let her go-or Taylor, for that matter.

Elizabeth is confused. "Wait, you're serious? How dare you even think that I am just going to _let_ you take Taylor with?"

Lori doesn't even flinch and says, "I'm not leaving without her. Again, I'm halfway there with Carter."

Carter tries to maintain eye contact with Lori, but isn't strong enough and looks away.

"I chose not to take Taylor 15 years ago," Lori continues. "But, seeing how great a girl she is and how sad Carter is without her, she's the last puzzle piece!"

"You _chose_ not to take me?" Taylor whimpered. While she's happy she was not kidnapped, Taylor was hurt that she's the child no one wants.

Elizabeth leans forward and sneers, "Let me tell you what will happen. I am leaving with these girls and you are going to jail."

Carter intervenes worried, "But no one's here, right Mom?"

Both women react to "mom" and turn to Carter.

"No. Of course not, just me," Elizabeth coolly says.

Carter looks at Taylor, knowing better.

"Honey, I don't expect anything less than undercover cops and backup," Lori sarcastically says. "So, I took a few precautions."

Carter cringes at "precautions."

"Some people here in this restaurant are on my side. Don't try anything," Lori threatens.

Carter suddenly loses it. She slams the table, tears running down her face, "WHY?!" She screams. "Why are you doing this?" She is sobbing, uncontrollably.

"Keep your voice down, Carter!" Lori huskily yells.

Carter shakes her head, unable to process anything and turns to Taylor for support. She embraces her full-force.

It's a long hug; Lori turns to Elizabeth, more relieved now that Carter is quiet. But, during the girls' hug, Carter pulls out the plug on Taylor's wire and pulls Taylor's jacket back over it, covering the evidence.

They look at each other. Taylor nods at Carter, understanding her plan.

However, during that, Lori gets something out of the pocket of her jeans jacket and holds it below the table between her knees. It purposefully grazes Carter's leg and she shoots up straight; knowing exactly what it is, her eyes dart to Lori.

Lori just looks at Taylor, longingly, "I am so excited to get to know you better, Taylor." Her eyes shift, "And Elizabeth, if you try to stop me-"

She gently presses the nose of the gun at the top of Elizabeth's knee.

"It will go off."

A man enters the shack. Walks slowly, looking around. Quite obvious. It's Kyle.

Lori looks to see what the hopeful eyes of Carter and Taylor are looking at.

She switches back to Elizabeth. "You brought a cop," she says sternly.

Lori immediately jumps out of the booth, grabs the salt dispenser and breaks it on Kyle's head. Her gun points at Kyle and she doesn't hesitate to shoot his foot.

Elizabeth jumps up to fight Lori. She tackles her to the ground and they roll around. Reversing offense vs. defense almost. While they are fighting, one big man takes Taylor. One minute she was there, the next she was gone.

Carter is left in the middle of this, looking around, nervously. The people at the restaurant are still eating... they are on Lori's side. Trying to find something to do, she grabs the nearest napkin and pen to write down: HELP ME. She includes frequent addresses that she could remember living in.

As she's about to finish the last address, with her pen still on the napkin, the big man grabs Carter and her hand glides across to make a long line indicating something happened.

Lori is on top of Elizabeth just pounding her with punches. Elizabeth can only see through one eye and is fatigued. Lori brings out the pistol and cocks it next to her head.

"You're dead even if I don't kill you," she says.

Lori gets off Elizabeth and runs out the door. Elizabeth can't even get up, she cries on the floor.

=========/====/==============

Carter and Taylor are thrown in a van alone. They have a long embrace. Taylor cries into Carter shoulder and says, "What now, what is she going to do to us now?"

Carter, crying in response answers with a weak, "I don't know, Taylor." She holds Taylor's head and strongly says, "But we won't give her what she wants."

"She got us," Taylor replies.

Carter responds reassuringly, "That doesn't mean she gets to keep us."

Suddenly, Lori climbs into the back of the van while the big man starts driving. She settles down near the two of them and takes a moment to just look at them.

"I never thought I'd see you both, together, in front of me," she says in awe.

Carter just stares at her. Lori looks to her and says, "Carter, we're a family again."

Lori tries to fix a strand of Carter's hair, but she flinches away. Lori comes closer and closer, but Carter backs away until she backs into the side of the van. They don't break each other's stare and Lori slaps her out of nowhere.

"Let's get one thing straight, girls," Lori says angrily. "You will not treat me with disrespect." She turns away from Carter. "Taylor, don't act like your rebellious sister." Taylor looks over to Carter unable to do or say anything.

Carter's stuck and can't think of the next move.

Lori continues, "You know, she used to always act this way when she was little. Stubborn."

Lori looks over at Carter and smirks. She walks over to Taylor, getting closer and closer.

"But, I don't think you'd do the same," Lori caresses Taylor's cheek as she tries to turn away from her.

"I choose you now, Taylor." Lori whispers.

Taylor squints her eyes closed, not wanting to see what's going on. Lori looks at her face, lovingly, but it sharply turns menacing. She grabs Taylor's neck and pushes her against the back of the van.

Carter erupts; she pushes Lori away from Taylor, getting in the middle between the two.

"Say whatever the hell you want to about me, hit me, hate me, but don't you dare go after Taylor."

"You just want this to all be about you," Lori mocks.

"No. It's about family and I think my mom died the night I went to that jail. The night when my life got swept under me because of you. Because you are the psychopath-"

Lori pushes Carter hard against the wall of the van, knocking her to the ground. As Carter turns over, Lori kicks her stomach, making Carter curl up in pain.

"Sure Carter, you can be my punching bag," she says as she grabs Carter to her feet. "But how would Taylor like that?"

Lori looks at Taylor, doesn't break eye contact and punches Carter across the face.

"STOP! Stop!" Taylor screams.

Carter and Lori are quiet for a second, but Carter kicks Lori's shins hard, knocking her to the ground.

Lori shakes her head and pulls out her gun. She gets up and puts it in Carter's face.

"Stop...please, Lori..." Taylor whimpers.

Lori keeps her aim at Carter.

"Mom." She says.

"What?" Taylor replies in confusion.

"Call me mom."

Carter tries to grab the gun, but instead, Lori gains power over it and whips it across Carter's face, knocking her back to the ground.

"This is not how I wanted to start this," Lori pleads. "But. It's the way it is now, unfortunately."

Carter attacks Lori.

"TAYLOR DUCK!" Carter yells.

Taylor quickly covers her had and crouches to the floor of the van. Carter is on top of Lori battling for the gun. It waves out in front of them, Carter aims for the door locks in the back of the van and shoots. They swing wide open and Carter gives one final hit to Lori.

Carter runs at Taylor, grabs a hold of her and jumps out the back. Carter wraps herself around Taylor, almost hugging her, so she's on the outside of the fall; protecting Taylor as they roll on the concrete.

Lori watches them as they roll to a stop. She aims and shoots.

Cars to try and weave around them, the girls fortunately roll out of traffic.

Taylor looks up to see where the shot came from and she sees Lori standing in the opening of the van as it speeds away.

"Ah! Taylor!" Carter yells.

Taylor shifts her attention to Carter who is lying on her side. She looks at her dirty clothes and sees red stains at the bottom of her shorts. The high speed fall to the concrete tore up Carter's exposed legs.

Carter continues, "Taylor. Just tell mom I'm sorry. Our mom."

"No. You're fine," Taylor argues. "You're leg is just bleeding from the fall. Carter, you're okay," she smiles.

Carter collapses flat on the pavement revealing a growing red stain above her hip. Lori's bullet hit her target.

"Oh my God." Taylor whispers. "OH MY GOD," she cries.

=========/====/==============

 **CLIFFHANGER! What do you think will happen? Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

Carter lies in a hospital bed with fluorescent lights shining on her. She has no strength; she can barely turn her head to see where she is.

As she musters enough power to look around, she sees Elizabeth curled up in a chair and Taylor right next to her. Elizabeth has a butterfly bandage over her right eyebrow and a nasty black eye below it. Taylor's arm is bandaged up from the fall out of the van.

Carter thinks of how damaged they are-all because of her. Then she looks down at herself and sees an IV in her arm, a cast on her right hand, a bandage on her left forearm. But the most pain is coming from one concentrated area: her waist. She tries to adjust herself to get comfortable, but a sudden sharp pain becomes agonizing. Carter croaks, she barely has a voice and she can't remember why. She gives out on the bed.

 _FLASHBACK_

 _Carter is lying on the concrete, Taylor is towering over her. Things become blurry, noises turn to hums and the bullet becomes painstakingly clear._

 _Lori shot her. The woman that was suppose to love her, support her, and raise her, has made the ultimate betrayal. Worse than betrayal._

 _All of this was too much to process, she was overwhelmed and began to panic; she was helpless. She couldn't move. She couldn't talk. She could only look at Taylor and could see poor Taylor's heart breaking._

 _"CARTER! Carter!" She yelled._

"Carter!" Taylor yelled hovering over her in the hospital room. Elizabeth was watching Carter's every move, no matter how small, trying to read what Carter was going through, what she was feeling.

Carter gasped from the memory and her face turned from fear to relief. Seeing Elizabeth and Taylor in front of her was the best thing she's seen since the kidnapping.

Carter tries to speak, but only gets a husky, "Hi," with a smile.

"I'm so glad you're okay. We were so worried for you," Elizabeth smiles.

Taylor goes in to hug Carter, but she flinches away from the pain and Taylor quickly recoils back, embarrassed.

Taylor looks down and says, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Carter looks at her and slowly inches her hand to Taylor's, loosely holding on to it.

 _FLASHBACK_

 _Taylor is gripping Carter's hand and Carter is screaming a blood-curdling sound that has gone on for 5 minutes straight almost driving Taylor to insanity, but Carter keeps squeezing her hand. Until, suddenly, she lets go and there is silence._

 _Taylor immediately looks at Carter, not knowing what to do, she yells, "CARTER DO NOT FALL ASLEEP."_

 _Carter is shifting in and out of consciousness and her eyes flutter open. Both of Taylor's hands are covered in blood. Carter's blood. Taylor desperately looks around for help, as cars whiz by, hoping that one of them called 911._

 _Just as she looks back down to a suffering Carter, she hears the sirens. She shakes Carter in excitement, Carter is startled awake and she too hears the sirens._

The beeps from the heart rate machine get louder as the conversation quiets down. Carter tries to say something, nothing comes out.

Elizabeth breaks the silence, "Carter, I know you can't speak right now, and that's totally normal after what you've been through, but I need to ask you some question about what you remember. Do you think you can write on something?"

Elizabeth brings to her a clipboard, paper and pen. She adjusts the bed so Carter is sitting up, but not on her own. She slowly hands her the clipboard.

Carter holds the clipboard, Elizabeth unhooks the pen and puts h it in Carter's hand that's when she suddenly starts shaking.

 _FLASHBACK_

 _Carter is frantically writing down addresses she could remember living in with Lori. Her hand scribbling across the paper until it's dragged across against her will._

Carter's stare doesn't see the pale tiled floor, but something much worse in her mind. Taylor looks around, trying to find something to do to help Carter.

Elizabeth quickly takes the writing utensils away from Carter and touches her shoulder.

Carter flinches from Elizabeth's touch, almost like she didn't see it coming.

"I know." Elizabeth says, looking into Carter's eyes. "You tried to write down places you thought you'd might visit or live in and when you held that pen you were there. Weren't you? You saw and experienced the same feelings when you were writing down all those addresses?"

Taylor looks at Elizabeth with a slightly confused face. She never knew how many places Carter lived at as a child. Taylor only knows the house she's living in now.

Elizabeth is calming Carter down back to normalcy. Carter's eyes are locked to Elizabeth's.

"Let's try something different. It's kind of funny. Can you blink once for no and twice for yes?" She smiles.

Carter blinks twice and weakly smiles back.

Elizabeth continues, "Good girl. If you can't answer, or can't remember something, that's okay. But try your hardest."

Taylor looks at Elizabeth, about to say something, but doesn't.

Carter looks at Elizabeth, not knowing what to expect.

"In the van," Elizabeth starts, "were you alone?"

Taylor interrupts, "No. Lori was there. And I was there. I already told you this!"

"I need to hear it from Carter," Elizabeth says sternly.

They both look at Carter, she blinks once.

After a few questions that Elizabeth had already asked Taylor, she starts with, "Before our meeting did Lori hit you?"

Carter tries to open her mouth, but blinks once, shaking her head.

"Did she hurt you?" Two blinks.

"Okay, we'll get need to the specifics later for the report when your throat has healed."

Carter's eyes light up at the word throat, trying to indicate what had happened in the woods.

Taylor looks at Cater desperately trying to figure out what she's saying, but no luck. Through her frustration, she stomps out of the room.

Elizabeth and Carter look at the empty doorway. Elizabeth sadly says, "She's had a really tough time, let me go talk to her. I will be right back."

Two blinks.

==========/=====/============

After a few days of rest, Carter's voice has healed and she is fully capable of speaking.

"I am so grateful that you guys are here. I don't know what I'd do without you," she says, starting to get emotional.

"Everything that's happened with Lori-" she stops.

That's the first time she's said her name since the kidnapping.

"Um..." she loses her thought, "you guys built me back up." Carter finishes.

There's a minute of silence, almost for self-reflection. For everyone.

"What happened to you, before we came?" Taylor asks abruptly. They both look at each other. Completely focused; Carter doesn't know how much she should reveal to the wounded Taylor.

"Lori was really violent. Not like something I've seen before. I've never seen this," Carter says, without making eye contact.

"But, I tried to escape and run to you guys," she admits.

Elizabeth pops up, "You did? How far did you get?"

"Not far, she caught me at the top of a hill outside the woods. It's just-when we were up there, she threatened me. I mean, I couldn't breathe."

A beat.

"It was either suffocate or get in the car. I...I don't know what happened to her," she says as her eyes get filled with water.

"And then, when I wouldn't talk to her, she would use you." Carter looks at Taylor and a tear falls down her face. "She would tell me how she would get you. But, you, you didn't deserve that, deserve this." She looks down at herself. Then looks to the side and to see a reflection of herself.

She's pretty banged up. There are shallow scratches on the left side of her face and her lip is split from the gun-when Lori swung it across her face. There are bruises and cuts, just a painful reminder of everything bad that happened to Carter. She turns her head away, unable to see it any more.

Elizabeth cuts in, "Carter, you didn't deserve this either. What Lori did was wrong; nothing was your fault." She says encouragingly.

"No, I know that," Carter replies reassuringly, "but, I didn't want what was happening to me happen to you." Her eyes shift to Taylor.

Taylor gets up and sits on the side of Carter's bed. She puts her hand on her arm and says, "Thank you, for protecting me. For everything. I told mom what happened in the van, so you don't have to live through that again."

Carter thinks to herself, "I already have, over and over again."

After a beat, Carter continues her story, "Lori ended up pulling the car over just to yell at me and...then we went to Tony's Shack."

"You know, I see you taking my job in a few years," Elizabeth jokes, lightening the mood. Carter starts to laugh, but immediately grabs her side and yelps from the pain.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry-" Elizabeth tries to apologize, but Carter says through her teeth, "No, no, it's okay." And after a minute, finishes with, "I can't remember the last time I laughed."

Elizabeth brushes Carter's hair to the side, lovingly.

 _FLASHBACK_

 _Lori keeps get close and closer to Carter, trying to fix her hair. As if she's trying to be a mother. Carter hits the wall of the van and is stuck face to face with Lori._

Carter is spaced out, barely listening to what Elizabeth is saying.

"What I meant was, the stunt you pulled with the wire, it was genius. You played me!"

This gets Carter's attention.

"I thought you were so upset, which just broke my heart, but you planned it, wanting to pull out the wire from the mic. Carter, you're incredible." Elizabeth smiles.

Carter returns a small smile, but her memories are haunting her.

======/====/================

 **That is chapter 3!** **Let me know how you want the story ton continue, I'll be taking suggestions! As always, thank you for reading :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Taylor sits up with Carter on her hospital bed, it's almost 2am and they've been up for hours.

"I can't believe the nurses didn't see you hiding!" Carter laughs.

Taylor responds, giggling, "Was there some other way to stay after visiting hours? We're having so much fun! Oh, how will I ever repay you?" She jokes.

 _FLASHBACK_

 _"And this is how you repay me?!" Lori screams, her weight restricting Carter, getting heavier and heavier. Carter squirms, trying to get out of grasp._

Tears form in Carter's eyes as she becomes very quiet, Taylor looks around, trying to figure out what triggered her.

"Carter?" Taylor asks. There is no response, as if Carter can't even hear her. Carter's head starts shaking and a tear falls down. Taylor takes Cater's hand and puts it on her face.

"Carter, you're here with me. You're safe now," Taylor reassures.

Carter's eyes shift to Taylor, she broke out of her zone. But as she looks at Taylor, she sees a few bruises on her neck. Carter's hand moves from Taylor's face to her neck, she softly examines the bruises and looks back at Taylor. Taylor waits for Carter to say something, but she remains quiet.

"It doesn't hurt...if that's what you're thinking," Taylor says, "this is nothing, I look at you, and, and I-I know I couldn't do anything. You've been shot and you're worried about me."

"But I let her get to you." Carter says, frustrated.

Taylor grabs Carter's hands and says, "You don't have to protect me-you didn't have to protect me. When you were on the concrete, screaming, I wasn't thinking about my neck or whatever she did to me. I was thinking about what she did to you and that is a helpless feeling, Carter."

"I know it too well. When...when I was with her. She kept bringing you up-"

Taylor asks, "What do you mean?"

"Whenever I didn't do something, she'd say how excited she was to get you, to be 'complete,'" Carter replies.

Taylor readjusts in her seat, becoming uncomfortable with the thought of Lori and her being a family.

Taylor finally blurts out, "What happened, before the van, before Tony's Shack?"

Carter knew this was coming. She was waiting for it, but when the moment came, she didn't know what to say.

"I mean, did she just expect you to go with her? Did you...want to?" Taylor says nervously.

Carter looks stunned and even a little sad from that question.

"Taylor, while I may not be happy with Mom's spying abilities and stuff I don't, don't ever want to be with Lori. Not anymore."

There's a pause.

"Taylor, she drugged me! She SHOT me!" Carter exclaims, getting louder as she thinks back. "Before Tony's, when she was driving, I wouldn't talk to her-wouldn't say a single word."

Taylor interrupts, "What happened?"

"She swerved the car over four lanes and was aggressive, by roughly grabbing my face, by yelling at me. It just- it wasn't even her. I didn't-don't recognize her. Maybe, if I had gone along with what she said," Carter says, "we wouldn't be here? If maybe, I wasn't sarcastic or if I didn't yell back that you would've found me and it'd be better."

Taylor is holding in a laugh, "You are worried you were too sarcastic? If that's your biggest concern, please don't worry!"

There's another long pause.

"I never thanked you." Taylor discovers.

"What?" Carter asks.

"You saved me. She hit you. She threatened you. She had a gun! But you never wavered. Hell, you jumped out a moving van and you took the fall. My fall. I never thanked you. Carter, you're a hero."

Carter blushes. She thinks that there is no way _she_ could be a hero. She was just some kidnapped victim trying to avoid her past.

"Well, cross that one of your bucket list!" Carter jokes.

Taylor looks down, looking serious, "You almost kicked that bucket." Thinking back to the bullet.

Carter winces, feeling the pain she's thinking about. She puts on hand on her side and one on Taylor, "I am here. I'm safe now."

But Carter fidgets, something on her mind is bothering her. Taylor analyzes her a little, but can't understand what's wrong.

"Have you.."

Carter stops, picking at her bandages.

"Have you heard from Max?" She anxiously asks.

Taylor doesn't know how to respond. It's been almost a week and Max still hasn't come to see Carter.

"Um...he's just, just, I don't think he's ready," Taylor stutters.

Carter bursts out laughing. Taylor is surprised from her reaction and tries to laugh with her. Carter's laughing too hard, shaking her head and the laughter turns to sobs.

" _He's_ not ready? _I_ wasn't ready for Lori to come back into my life! Wasn't ready for her to break me! Wasn't ready for the bullet! _I_ was with him when _he_ was shot. And he's not ready. Ready for what."

Her sadness quickly turns to anger. Taylor winces at the memory of Max getting shot and there is an eerie silence. But Taylor just holds Carter's hand and Carter leans on her shoulder.

========/====/===============

Max enters the Wilson home with groceries. Trying to help in any way he can. He restocks their shelves, rearranges their kitchenware and distracts himself as much as he can.

The house is empty, everyone is with Carter. He hasn't visited her yet, he can't bring himself to see her. Lori was a friend, part of his family. He can't bring himself to see her. To see what Lori did to her. He sweeps the floor. Carter's been shot, he thinks. He wipes the glass. She almost died, he thinks. He dusts.

Max goes to the kitchen, but freezes. Stuck in shock because Lori is staring back at him.

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 **Sorry it took so long, but I hope you liked it.**


	5. Chapter 5

Taylor is asleep on Carter's hospital bed, Grant and Elizabeth went to go get food while Carter's sitting up, one hand on Taylor's head. She looks around, bored of sitting in one place all day, she sees Taylor's phone. Painfully reaching for it, her side starts to hurt her. Carter moves her hand from Taylor to her side and winces.

She unlocks the phone, after checking Facebook, Carter looks through Taylor's texts, seeing if her friends have contacted her. She's scrolling, scrolling, until she sees an unknown number.

She opens it and it's the photo of Carter and the newspaper. Tears immediately fall down her face, unstoppable, but also silent. After a few short gasps, she calms herself down and really looks at the picture.

"What happened to you, Mom?" Carter dejectedly whispers.

Carter holds Taylor's head for comfort. She thinks about calling the number. Leaving a message.

She dials.

====/===/===============

"Get the hell out of here!" Max yells at Lori.

She races to him, one finger in front of her mouth, trying to make him quiet down.

"I'm not here to hurt you." She backs up, keeping her distance. Lori is constantly looking over her shoulder.

Max knows she's paranoid. Max knows he needs to tell Elizabeth, but doesn't move—he can't.

He stutters, "What—what are you—you doing here."

Lori's phone starts ringing, startling both Max and Lori. She looks down, it's Taylor's number. She rushes the phone to her ear, "Hello?!" Taylor?"

Max looks confused, disgusted even. How could Taylor call Lori? He thinks.

There's no answer on the other side of the call.

"Carter?" Lori questions. There's still silence.

Max runs to grab the phone, Lori spins away from him.

"I'm so sorry sweetie. I'm leaving, okay? I'm going away and I'm sorry." She sobs.

"Why?" Carter musters out.

"I wanted to be a family so bad, so bad that it consumed me." Lori says. "I still love you, you know that?" Lori says.

"HANG UP!" Max yells as he grabs the phone.

====/===/=============

Carter ends the call. She swore she heard Max's voice. It couldn't be, she thinks.

Elizabeth comes into the room and sits with Carter, in silence. Taylor stirs, a bit groggy. She gets up for some food and leaves the room.

The two are enjoying each other's company, but aren't saying much.

"Do you think I'll be discharged soon?" Carter wonders.

"The doctors say you're on track, which is a good thing, but I think they still want you here." Elizabeth replies.

"It's just, there's nothing to do here, and even staring at the ceiling is getting old!" Carter jokes, but winces from the pain, trying to cover it with a smile. Elizabeth sees her struggle, but gives her an encouraging smile.

"I'll bring some books for you to read," she says, but Carter rolls her eyes.

"Let me take that back," Elizabeth says, "I'll get you some movies and a computer."

"That's better," she laughs, holding her side.

=====/===/=========

Carter took a short nap, she sees on her table movies and a computer. Things in the room become in focus again, she looks around and sees a long-haired boy sitting in a chair by the side of her bed.

Max.

Carter doesn't say anything, but her mind is screaming: Was he with Lori? Is he hurt?

"Hey," Max says to break the silence. "I'm sorry. For, for everything that's happened. And for not being there."

Of course it wasn't him on the phone, she thinks.

After a long pause, she just can't stay mad at him now that he's in front of her. She holds her arms out and they have a long embrace.

Max is examining her, looking at the injuries, trying to understand what she's been through.

"I guess we're even now." Carter says, but Max gives her a funny face, not understanding what she's saying.

"Well, we both got shot and lived. So, you know, let's never go through that again," she giggles. Max smiles, laughing at how inappropriate it is, but that is Carter.

"I've missed you, Carter." Max says, looking down, not making eye contact. She looks at him, moves her head to make him look at her.

"Where were you?" She emotionally asks. "I felt abandoned, Max."

"I just couldn't do it. I couldn't see what she did to you. I knew her! I knew it would be real." He reveals.

"I've been sitting here, for a week now, trying to make sense of it. I just can't. So, I used Taylor's phone." Carter begins to laugh, nervously. "And I swore I heard your voice?" She stares off to the side.

"But, I've been taking a lot of meds," she reasons, "Hearing things?" Her eyes get watery.

Max opens his mouth, wanting to say something, looks at Carter, but doesn't. Her face crinkles up, it's true.

"What?" She asks, her voice squeaks.

He doesn't know how to tell her.

"She came to the house." He reveals. Her breath hitches, caught off guard.

"Her phone rang and it was you…" he trails off.

"What? Why—Why?" She tries to speak.

"After you hung up, she said she just wanted to apologize, I kicked her out of the house." He says.

"So, this is why you're here? Did you even come for me? WHY are you here?!" She yells.

"I believed her and then that was it! It's over!" He yells back.

"No. You are not doing this to me. Get out." She says, strongly.

"Carter," he bargains.

"GET OUT, MAX!" She screams, starting to shake.

"SHE'S LEAVING, CARTER."

"But…" she gets quiet. "You saw her before you saw me…I heard you on the phone. I—I'm tired. Just go." She sighs.

Taylor's phone rings. It's Lori. Carter immediately turns to Max.

She's starting to feel dizzy and suddenly her hand rushes to her side. It feels warm and wet. Looking down, she sees blood, the alarms on her machines are blaring and her sight is getting blurry.

"Carter? Carter, what's happening?" Max says, backing up, feeling helpless. He looks at the doctors rushing in one, two, five of them come through the door. The last one is pushing him out of the room and the door shuts. He runs his hand through his hair, he caused this, he thinks. He looks through the little window, a doctor holds a lifeless Carter and lays her on the bed, there's a lot of blood. They situate the gurney and begin to roll her out of the room.

This was his fault.

Elizabeth rushes down to Max, "What happened?!" She yells, out of breath, seeing her daughter rush past her to the ER.

"I—uh—I—" Max can't form sentence, he's spinning, his hands rustle through his hair again. "Carter—Lori," he corrects.

Elizabeth abruptly leaves, following the crowd of doctors around Carter.

"Ma'am, I need you wait in the waiting room, please." A nurse says, kindly.

She spins to Max. "What have you done?" she demands.

"I'm so sorry; I was just—just trying to help." He pleads.

"Go home, Max."

He looks confused. Home is with Elizabeth.

"No. Go back to your town. Let Carter recover, without you." Elizabeth defiantly says.

He walks off.

A distant ringing is heard…from a cell phone.

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 **Sorry it was late again. Happy New Year! Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) R &R!**


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